35 years ago, on the night of 15th/16th October 1987, Islanders awoke to a scene of devastation after a once in every 200-year storm event struck the coast, sending Shanklin Pier crashing into the sea.
Do you remember the Great Storm? It was never supposed to happen. The TV weatherman Michael Fish will long be remembered for informing viewers there would be no hurricane that evening.
The weatherman’s exact words were:
“Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said there was a hurricane on its way.
“Well, if you’re watching, don’t worry, there isn’t. But having said that, actually, the weather will become very windy, but most of the strong winds will be down over Spain and across into France.”
During the evening of the 15th, radio and TV forecasts mentioned strong winds, but suggested that there would be heavy rain rather than wind. By the time most people had gone to bed, exceptionally strong winds had not yet been mentioned.
The 1st important warning was issued by the Met Office to the Ministry of Defence at 01:35 on the 16th. It warned that the consequences of the storm might be such that civil authorities would need the help of the military.
The storm struck the Isle of Wight at 02:00. The most significant damage was to Shanklin Pier which was broken into 3, with the theatre falling into the sea. The following day, Shanklin beach was littered with the remains of fruit machines, driftwood and the mangled metal debris of the pier.
Elsewhere, trees were uprooted across the Island including at Shanklin Chine, where more than 20 trees were toppled. Fallen trees completely blocked Undercliff Drive and Queen’s Road in Shanklin, and many other routes became impassable. The Red Cross Society building in Newport lost its roof and much of the Island experienced electricity blackouts.
At Compton Bay, the force of the storm destroyed the Isle of Wight surf club hut. Surfboards were blown over the cliffs and were found littered along the length of the Military Road.
Nationally, 18 people were killed and an estimated 15 million trees were blown down. The force of the storm left a cross-Channel ferry washed ashore on a beach near Folkstone.
Fortunately, despite extensive damage, there were no deaths on the Island. 13 Islanders were hospitalised with shock and minor injuries. Had the storm struck during the daytime, fatalities would have been likely.
This was the worst storm the Isle of Wight had experienced since 7th December 1703. It is hard to gauge the exact strength of the storm as many anemometers failed due to power blackouts. However, winds on the Island reached Force 11 (56 to 63 knots) over a consistent period.
The highest wind speed recorded close to the Isle of Wight in the Great Storm of 1987 was 100 knots – 115mph. This is less than at the height of Storm Eunice (18th February 2022) when a speed of 106 knots – 121mph – was recorded at The Needles.
The Great Storm forced the demolition of Shanklin Pier, which had stood since 1890. It was purchased by South Wight Borough Council in 1992 for around £25,000 and demolished the following year. The cost of rebuilding the structure was estimated at £1.5million. Today, the site of the pier is commemorated by a plaque.
Following a Met Office enquiry in the aftermath of the Great Storm, improvements were made to the coverage of the atmosphere over the ocean to the south and west of the UK from ships, aircraft, buoys, and satellites. Upgrades were also made to computer models used for weather forecasting.
Today, the Isle of Wight has its very own weather service in the form of IW Met Service – Island Echo’s official weather forecasters.
Good morning, a very interesting story, I was living on the mainland at the time, at a wedding of a friend in Hampshire. There was a power cut, the temperature dropped, but the wedding reception carried on, most people were staying overnight at the wedding. The next day we all saw the aftermath of the storm. Trees down roofs off of buildings. I think we were very lucky that night.
I slept through the storm I must admit. I was in my early 20’s then. The devastation this storm caused was incredible. So many trees down, lying around like fallen dominoes.
The power of Mother Nature huh!
I remember it well, being a retained fireman in Ventnor at the time.We were kept very busy for days afterwards, mainly salvage work and “making safe”.
I well remember the devastation of that as it hit a lot of other parts of the country. I remember seeing walls down roofs off a streets blocked. I was woken by a huge bang and all the power went off. One of the huge fir trees across the road from me was bent over sweeping the pavement, but a parasol in a garden table in my back garden was completely untouched. It was as focused as that.
Nothing beats seeing the devastation to the trees on Wimbledon Common though.
Obviously fake news, we all know that the only storms we ever have are down to global warming or climate change.
After this sad event there was a lot of talk of re-building the iconic Pier in Shanklin
Never happened .
I would have thought at least keep all the units at the front of the old pier.
Could have built a circular building at the front with wonderful seaviews.
Cafes / Giftshops etc
Sadly Tourism on the Island is poor, poor due to an incompetent council
Who sold the Dotto Train
Charge Holidaymakers ridiculous fees to use the lift.
Charge to use toilets.
Close toilets too early.
24 parking fees, after 6pm you have to pay £2 to park your car
Even Portsmouth do not do This!
And of course extorninate Ferry Fares.
Who would choose to come to the Island, when you can drive to Dorset, Devon or Cornwall.
Exactly,you can have 2 week’s holiday on the mainland for the price off 1 week here with boat fairs ect, most tourism places have closed down
A couple of Hotels recently have also been exposed giving holidaymakers out of date food.
Sandown looks like It was blitzed and no one cleared up the mess.
This once gorgeous island is going down the drain with all the sewage the
Tories dump in the sea.
After this sad event there was a lot of talk of re-building the iconic Pier in Shanklin
Never happened .
I would have thought at least keep all the units at the front of the old pier.
Could have built a circular building at the front with wonderful seaviews.
Cafes / Giftshops etc
Sadly Tourism on the Island is poor, poor due to an incompetent council
Who sold the Dotto Train
Charge Holidaymakers ridiculous fees to use the lift.
Charge to use toilets.
Close toilets too early.
24 parking fees, after 6pm you have to pay £2 to park your car
Even Portsmouth do not do This!
And of course extorninate Ferry Fares.
Who would choose to come to the Island, when you can drive to Dorset, Devon or Cornwall
I remember the day very well, I went down Ryde Pier to our Passenger Boat the Solent Scene at midnight debateing wether to move to Cowes, at 0100 I tel Maurice another one of our skippers to come and help me move the vessel to Cowes we set sail at 0130 passing the Yarmouth Lifeboat heading towards Bembridge a ship was in difficulty around the back off the Island, as we made our way to Cowes 104 mph southerly wind was recorded on the vessel, it was so windy it blew the sea flat as we made our way and indeed I have been in far rougher seas in the solent, Ironic I was the last person on Solent Scene to use Shanklin Pier and we went around to what was left two days later on our Vessel Jenny R with the Fred Sage the owner and TVS crew.